Justice and Home Affairs Council, 09/11/2015, 9 November 2015

Main results

Home affairs ministers were debriefed on the latest information on migratory flows and the situation on the ground, and had a wide-ranging discussion on progress in implementing the most recent EU measures.

Ministers also decided on a number of further measures to handle the refugee and migration crisis as set out in a set of conclusions adopted by the Council.

These conclusions focus in particular on the speeding up of the ongoing relocation process; strengthening the EU's external borders; fighting human trafficking and smuggling; return and readmission.

• Council Conclusions on Measures to handle the refugee and migration crisis

The Council also expressed support in its conclusions for the decision of the Presidency to upgrade the activation of the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) from information-sharing to full activation mode.

Europe must remain open, but an open Europe means that the rules which we ourselves have established must be respected, and that everyone must work together to ensure that this happens. Jean Asselborn 

Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister for Immigration and Asylum and President of the Council said: "In the situation in which we currently find ourselves it is essential to slow down the influx of people in order that these can be better managed by individual member states. That is why today's Council has concentrated on the implementation and consolidation of decisions which have already been taken."

• Outcome of Council meeting

See also:

• Finding solutions to migratory pressures (background information)